Railway signaling and collision-prevention apparatus



. W. WRIGHT. I Y RAILWAY SIGNALING AND COLLISION PREVENTION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I, 1919- 1,431,075, Patented 00. a 11922.

Patented 3,

(Fi /2 ll n an 1 TE i iii: atti t i i if ,3 j I WALTER "WEIGHT, 01 EflIiG'OURLIE, WESTERN AUSTEALIA, AUSTRALTA, ASSIGNOR OF SIX-EIGrl-ITHS TO BENJAMIN 'WEISS, O1 PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUS- TBALIA.

Application filed May 1, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVALTER WRIGHT, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Forest Lodge, McDonald Street, Kalgoorlie, in the State of West ern Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Railway Signaling and Collision-Prevention Apparatus; and I do here- 10 by declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to train control apparatus, and is directed more particularly to an apparatus of the type in which there is provided a train projection, rotatable from clear to a danger position, with relation to a valveseat, and which is in communication with the air under pressure of the air brakes.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a train projection to be moved from a clear position to a danger position by striking a train stop, which has been arranged in danger position. The apparatus is formed to provide a. port which in the clear position of the projection connects air under pressure through a valve seat with mechanism, connected to the engine motive power, and so arranged that when the projection is moved into its danger position, the air connection is cut off, the air allowed to escape to the atmosphere, and the engine motive power cut oil.

The invention is illustrated in the acconp panying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing the to parts in normal positions.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts in operative positions.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the valve. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the valve seat and 4a air conduits leading therefrom.

Fig. 5 is an elevation with the valve in normal position and the air brakes cut oil. Fig. 6 is an elevation with the valve in operative position. To produce movement of parts of this train stop to the danger position, there is a connection from a motor to the train stop.

A projection 20 is mounted strongly to withstand shock, as by being in part enclosed Serial No. 293,981.

by a bracket 2O movably mounted as on a pivoted shaft 21 carried by the engine. This shaft may extend through a hole 21 in arm 20 and its seat.

The engine cab X contains a lamp G to show a light (such as green) when required to mean that the section ahead is clear, and contains a bell Z to ring when the light shows. Both lai 1p and bell are by means of wire 30 (there being a frame return) in circuit with a switch button 20 on the projection 20.

lVhen a train ig. 1) reaches the ramp in raised or clear position, the projection 20 passes under that ramp, but an arm or cam which is provided projecting under that ramp will be struck by the button 20 which will be depressed, so that the circuit aforesaid governed by this button becomes closed, causing lighting of lamp G and ringing of bell Z, and thus informing the driver he has 5 passed a clear signal. On being so depressed, the. button 2O becomes latched (by means that will be well understood and are not shown) and remains so, until the engine driver releases it by suitable means, as a go push button 30 on a Bowden wire 30.

Each arm 20 is of suitable length, having anti-friction means, as roller 20, to strike parts of the train stop. Each train stop has a covering 27 as a protection 5 against, for example, the weather.

There is in the engine cab or the like a. connection 31 from a valve arm 20, by which to open a shutter 31, causing expo sure of a red light 31* or a like signal. -When a signal is at danger and the arm 20 overruns its train stop, and is raised. it moves part 31 to show the red light and the arm is kept raised by for example, a notch 20 in it becoming engaged by a latch 5 20 on the engine frame.

Then the driver must before he can back the train, detach the latch, to do which he may be made to leave his cab. Valve arm 20 has a longitudinal breakage detectin passage 2O which extends to the outer end or the arm and has a port 2O for connecting purposes stated below. If an arm 20 were to be broken, it would allow air from the train pipe 34 to escape freely, and would so cause the brakes to be applied.

The valve seat is mounted on the engine frame, and has a port 20 and other ports 20 20 20, and 20 connected to tubes, one oi which 38, is connected to the atmosphere, another 33,connects with air under pressure in the train pipe 34E of the air-brake system, and connects with a port 20 ot the valve seat, which is always open to the valve passage 20 When arm 20 is raised, its port 20 is (see Fig. 6) through port 20 connected to port 2O and by pipe 38 to the atmosphere, and the train brakes accordingly become automatically applied.

A power device, shown as a reservoir 36 01 air under pressure, is provided on the engine having a teed tube 37 to one end of a cylinder 20, and a feed tube 35 to the valve seat port 20 In the normal position of the arm 20, the latter port communicates as in Fig. 5 by means of the valve port 20 with the valve seat port 20 which is open to a tube 20 which leads into the other end of cylinder 20 so that the air pressure at each end of that cylinder is normally equal, and will sustain a piston 32 therein in a central position, assisted by a spring 32", at each side of the piston.

The piston is mounted on a rod 32", which is connected to a control (not shown) of the engine motive power, so that in whichever direction the piston and its rod 32" are moved, that power will be cut oil. Movement of the rod 32 occurs when arm 20 is raised, because the port 20 connects through port 2O with the adjacent port 20 letting air from the cylinder escape by pipe 20 and tubes 38.

This causes the air pressure through pipe 37 to be effective in moving the piston.

Duplicates as 20 33 and 35 of various parts shown at the left in Figs. 1 and 2, are provided on the right and there are duplicates (not shown) of parts 31 and 30 and 30". The parts Gr, Z, 31 20 36, will be operated from one side or the other of the engine according to the ramps of train stops, which projections 20 pass so that references herein to part 20 mean to that part on the side where such part coacts with a train stop, while the part 20 on the other side remains unaffected.

lVhen a train overruns a danger signal and its lowered front ramp, this ramp raises arm 20, which becomes latched, the brakes become applied, the engine power becomes cut oil and the red light is shown in the cab.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

l. The combination with an engine cab, of an arm pivotally carried therebyand adapted to be tilted, said arm-having a longitudinal passage 20 extending to the outer end thereof and also having a port 20 a compressed air reservoir, a valve seat having ports 20, 20 20E 20 and 20 a tube in communication with the port- 20 and adapted to receive air under pressure, a tube in communication with port 20 and wit-h the compressed air reservoir, a tube 2O in communication at one end with port 20, a tube 38 in communication with the atmosphere and also with ports 2O and 20 the said port 20 being always in communication with the passage 20*, acylinder with which the tube 2O communicates, a tube 37 leading from the compressed air reservoir into said cylinder to feed compressed air into the latter, a spring-pressed piston arranged within the cylinder, a rod upon which. the piston is mounted and adapted to be connected with a motive power control on the engine so as to operate said control when said rod is moved in either direction, the various tubes and ports being relatively so arranged that when the pivoted arm is raised, port 20 will, through port 20 be connected to port 20 and by tube 38 to the atmosphere to cause the train brakes to be applied, and the port 20 will connect through port 2O with port 20 to permit air to escape by pipe 20 and tube 38 to cause the air pressure in tube 37 to move the piston and its rod to cut off the motive power.

2. The combination with an engine cab, of an arm pivotally carried thereby and adapted to be tilted, said arm having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and also having a port 20 a compressed air reservoir, a valve seat having ports 20 20, and 20-, a tube 35 in communication with port 20 and with the compressed air reservoir, a tube 20 in communication with port 20, a tube 38 in communication with the atmosphere and also with port 20 a cylinder with which tube 20 communicates, a tube 37 leading from the compressed air reservoir into said cylinder to feed compressed air into the latter, a spring-pressed piston ar ranged within the cylinder, a rod upon which the piston is mounted and adapted to be connected with a motive power control on the engine so as to operate said control when said rod is moved in either direction, the various tubes and ports being relatively so arranged that when the pivoted arm is raised the port 20 will connect through port 20 with port 20 to permit air to escape by tube 20 and tube 38 to cause the air pressure in tube 37 to move the piston and its rod to out of? the motive power.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER WRIGHT. 

